Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1887-04-08

| Ellie s. She went out washin n
cleanin paint. n dom ev rything thct
she could hire out to do. She worked in
the fields, she picked berries, an I've
met her many a time luggin' home dead
wood from Mulletts timber, fur he told
her Charley might have all he could pick
up there. Sich was the pity of folks fur
her they alters was glad to do her favor,
Member once helpin' her hum with
stable log, but l met Ant fore we got
to the farm an she give me cut bout
hangin' round arter married women.
She said somethin' wuss to Fan. n
hung back from dom her favors arter
that
Charley never spoke me decent ag in.
Nothin' so MAIDS a man as to do kind
ness to the wife he hates. Hates? Wal,
yes: he'd bout come to tibet. She prob'ly
didn't git fair word from one year S
end to another. But she bore up. Folks
said twas cause she forgot herself
workin, but | think twas cause
she was dom fur Efiie'n' him.
an he acterly used her money to dress
a little spruCer than Ant 5 means allowed.
But great blow came to poor Fan.
After she lost her last baby she took sick.
She didn't go to bed, as most ailn
women do, but tried to help little here
and there though course it didn't mount
to much. But it sorter sarved to ease her
mind. Months went on an she didn
grow no better.
l called i'll there one day ON AN arrant
for neighbor Mullett. | own l did it
more to cit in AN cdgeways word O com
fort to Fan. if possible. Course | expected
nothin' but tants from them. Fan was
layin on the lounge an Ant was but
term bout some cookin on the stove
-porridge fur Fan, | guess, fur fore
could tell my arrant she blurted out some
thin bout hevin to slave fur low lived
critters. Fan looked like death. " 'Spose
We mean Charley, SEE |, 'he is bout as
low lived as any one l know, runnin his
wife, body n soul.
| felt that nothn' could make things
wuss n they was. an p'raps the truth
might wake spark o human natur in
EN-. | knew Charley was listenin' in the
next room.
Lord" cried the old woman. ''air
eny O We neighbors hankerin' arter the
wife he's got, or, ruther, who got him?
Ye're welcome to her, n the sooner We
pack her off the better!'
"Ncs." drawled Charley from the mex
room, though he didn t burst to show his
shame-faced count nance to me, I've
come to Jest that conclusion myself.
WHAT cried Fan, startin up an
turnin' red all over, do ye say tibet,
Charles?"
Il do.''
She looked at me so beseechin axed:
"Can help ye;'
Let me hear him say it Jest once
agin' fust.' She couldn't have PRAYED
him. ON her knees, to onsay it, more
sure y than she did then, by the trembln
of her voice. 1t made me shake from
head to fut ptied her so in my heart
| hoped that Charley, mean as he treated
her. would onsay his words. But he
didn't.
'I'll say it a dozen times eff tibet Ii con-
vince ye," seq the brute.
Fan riz up. Where can | go?' seq
she, sorter dazed like.
Il know a place" seq /. But hev
to see the fam bly, fust. Get yer things
together, n yen be called fur this arter-
noon. Cheer up; promise you'n Ehie'l
be looked arter n way to comfort
Ant give a scornful sniff, but / 'peared
not to notice it. Fan went slowly on as
if to do my biddin.
l did my arrant S though nothin' d
happened. then went away, hopin' with
all my might that Charley ii relent, fur
seed tibet 'twould be nigh like death fur
Fan to part from him.
| druv over to an uncle O mine in the
next town, who was a widderer consid 'ra-
bly, wal-to-do in the world, an who was
looking fur housekeeper. | stated the
circumstances of the case to him. He
greed to take Fan ef she could do his
work. n greed to pay fur her board n
Effi's fur fortnight, n servants
wages inter the bargain, ef he'd take Fan
in an try an see eff she'd be fit to take
holt at the eend o tibet time. He greed,
n promised to call hisself tibet AFTERNOON
fur her.
Wal, sir, he found her packed. bag n
baggage. An Ant said to 'em as they
druv away, Il ain t a gret hand at quotin
Scriptur', but there one tex to fit this
case: She went out from amongst us
cause she wasn't of U.S. -
The a fair was the talk o. the town for
the mex week. Ev'rybody prophesied
Fan would die. l felt a contnooal
sinlin' o my heart, fur l expected each
day to hear the wust. / felt ez l was
sorter to blame for the separation, an yit
it must a come to that eventooally. But
Fan didn't die. At the eend of a week
she kinder picked up an begun to take
holt o things. Before the fortnight was
up she was able to git along without help.
She improved stidlily, an in the course
O couple O months was better'n she'd
ben fur long time. Uncle was kind as
kind to her, and the little one began to
look heartier. tell We what, sir, there
nothin' like kindness fur workin mara
cles on poor, cast lown critters.
l didn't burst to 20 over to see Fan,
cause | feared tie talk. l KEEP myself
posted through uncle, an never was
man gladder'n l TO have helped a poor
unfortunate.
Charley never reared them premises,
not even to see Ellie. He LACED bout as
uSlal an Ant went rO1n1 plorVin' in